Billfolder and method of making

ABSTRACT

A billfolder is constructed from a single pair of blanks formed of woven fabric coated on opposite sides with heat sealable plastic. The various layers or panels of the billfolder are held in assembled relationship by an absolute minimum number of heat seals or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;welds,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; thus minimizing the tendency of the heat sealing operations to stretch and deform the material. Because of a small number of heat seals, a number of the billfolder panels may slide or float relative to one another during usage to preclude wrinkling and to enable the billfolder to adjust to the variable thickness of the contents. The parts of the billfolder requiring the greatest strength are formed with multiple layers of the material and all wear edges and exterior edges are folded and rounded as distinguished from raw cut edges. The billfolder is characterized by compactness with maximum carrying capacity for a variety of articles. It is highly economical in construction and resembles fine leather in appearance and feel.

United States Patent [1 1' Herbener 1 Sept. 11, 1973 BILLFOLDER ANDMETHOD OF MAKING [76] Inventor: Henry M. Herbener, 803 N. Davison St.,Thomasville, Ga. 31792 [22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 231,655

3,151,651 r 10/1964 Herbener 150/35 Primary Examiner-Donald F. NortonAttorney-RP. Fishburne, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A billfolder is constructed from a single pair of blanksformed of woven fabric coated on opposite sides with heat sealableplastic. The various layers or panels of the billfolder are held inassembled relationship by an absolute minimum number of heat seals orwelds," thus minimizing the tendency of the heat sealing operations tostretch and deform the material. Because of a small number of heatseals, a number of the billfolder panels may slide or float relative toone another during usage to preclude wrinkling and to enable thebillfolder to adjust to the variable thickness of the contents. Theparts of the billfolder requiring the greatest strength are formed withmultiple layers of the material and all wear edges and exterior edgesare folded and rounded as distinguished from raw cut edges. Thebillfolder is characterized by compactness with maximum carryingcapacity for a variety of articles. It is highly economical inconstruction and resembles fine leather in appearance and feel.

13 Claims, 26 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEH 1 ma SHEEI 3 BF 7 PATENTED E 3757 840 sum 5 or 7 PATENTED SEP] 1 I973 SHEEI 6 0F 7 PATENTED SEP1 1I973 sum 7 M 7 1 lBlllLLF OLDER AND METHOD OF MAKING BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The objective of the present invention is to improve upon andsimplify the constructions for billfolders shown in prior U.S. Pat. Nos.2,589,546; 2,863,484; 2,863,485; 2,863,486 and 3,151,651, all issued toHenry M. Herbener. In the first of the above-noted patents, thebillfolder is constructed of leather and the various sections thereofare secured together by lines of stitching. Certain other Herbenerpatents prior to U.S. Pat. No. 2,589,546 also disclose broadly similarbillfolders fabricated from leather. Such billfolders, while being ofexcellent quality, are necessarily expensive due to the materials andlabor involved.

In the three later patents noted above, the billfolders are constructedentirely of flexible thermoplastic sheet material with the differentsections of the product joined by heat seals or welds. These priorpatented structures, while highly economical to manufacture and closelyresembling the genuine leather product in appearance and feel, have theinherent disadvantage of tending to crack and tear particularly inregions of repeated bending after long usage.

The construction in U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,651 sought to overcome this lackof durability in the all-plastic billfolders by the use of a wovenfabric blank or body coated on one side with heat sealable plastic. Inthe re sulting product, the visible exterior surfaces of the bill'-folder were substantially all plastic coated and the un coated fabricsurfaces were to a great extent concealed. A difficulty with thebillfolder produced according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,651 was that aseparate piece of thermoplastic material had to be employed between anyadjacent uncoated fabric surfaces which were required to be joined sinceno stitching was employed. This presented some ratherdifficult andcostly manufacturing steps and mainly for this reason the billfolderconstruction according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,651 has not proven to bethe complete or final answer in the production of an inexpensive-anddurable billfolder of the class in question having physicalcharacteristics closely resembling genuineleather billfolders of theprior art. 1 l 7 According to the present invention, it is believed thatthe above final answer in terms of a completely satisfactory econoinicalbillfolder possessing the physical qualities of a fine leatherbillfolder has been realized. Additionally, the construction of thebasic billfolder blank or body portion and the method of folding andjoining the various panels together in the final product has beensimplified to such an extent that only a very few heat seals or weldsneed to be utilized. This, in turn, minimizes the stretching anddistortion of the basic material and enables certain panels or walls ofthe billfolder to float and adjust automatically to differentthicknesses in the contents of the billfolder pockets and compartments.Most importantly, the use of fabric coated on both sides with vinylresin or another suitable thermoplastic greatly simplifies thefabrication of the product in comparison to the structure of U.S. Pat.No. 3,151,651 and entirely eliminates the need for separate pieces ofthermoplastic formerly required to join uncoated fabric surfaces. I

Additional important improvements and advantages of the presentstructure over the prior art will appear as the detailed descriptionproceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of afinished billfolder embodying the invention in a completely closedcondition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the billfolder with the coin cupreleased and extended for use.

FIG. 3 is a further perspective view of the billfolder in a full-openposition to illustrate the various components thereof.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a basic blank employed for the body portion ofthe billfolder.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an auxiliary blank later to be joined to themain blank in the construction of the billfolder.

FIG. 6 is a further plan view of the main blank showing a first step inthe fabrication of the billfolder.

FIG. 7 is a further plan view of the main blank showing the provision ofpermanent folding creases produced therein by heat sealing means.

' FIG. 8 is another plan view of the main blank looking 1 at the reverseside thereof and showing the step of attaching the auxiliary blanktheretowith heat seals that also form key pockets.

FIG. 9 is. a further plan view showing a folding operation on the mainand auxiliary blanks and the joining by heat sealing of interfittingextensions on opposite sides of the main blank. 7

FIG. 10 isa perspective view of the partially completed billfolder inthe stage illustrated by FIG. 9 but with the parts opened up intorectangular tubular for mation.

FIG. 11 is an additional plan view showing additional folding and heatsealing steps.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are fragmentary plan views-depicting additionalfolding steps in the formation of a multilayer coin cup.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the final, folding step and final heatsealing of the coin cup. FIG 16 is anenlarged longitudinal verticalsection taken on line 16-16 of FIG. 1. t

, FIG. 17 is an'enlarged transverse vertical section taken on linel7-.-17 of FIG. 1. 1 FIG. 18 is an enlarged central vertical sectionthrough the billfolder in the plane of FIG. 16 with the billfolderopened and the components thereof unfolded. 1 i

FIG. 19 is an enlarged transverse taken on line 19-19 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged transverse vertical section vertical sectiontaken on line 20-20of FIG. 11. .7 FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentaryvertical section through the coated blank taken on line 21-21 of F IG.

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary plan view of the interior surface of thebillfolder with the partition broken away and showing a self-adjustinghinge tongue tofacilitate folding the billfolder without wrinkling orbuckling.

FIG. 23 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of main blank.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a partially completed billfolder madefrom the main blank in FIG. 23 with the auxiliary blank in FIG. 5.

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to FIG. 16 showing amodification in the form of a stop element for coins at the mouth of thebillfolder coin pocket.

spring wire insert for the coin cup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following description, the heat sealing orwelding operations may be performed with the high frequency die meansdisclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,631,646 or by equivalent conventional means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout, and referring first to FIGS. 4 and 5, thenumerals and 41 designate main and auxiliary blanks, respectively,employed in the construction of the billfolder shown in completed formin FIGS. 1-3 and FIG. 15. The material employed in the blanks 40 and 41comprises woven fabric 42, see FIG. 21, coated on opposite sides withthermoplastic, such as a vinyl resin, as indicated at 43 and 43. Thecoating 43 on the top of the blank 40 in FIG. 4 to produce the visibleexterior surfaces of the completed billfolder is opaque and colored inany desired manner. The coating 43 on the bottom of the blank 40 may beclear or transparent or, if preferred, may be the same as the coating43. In either case, the fabric body or reinforcement 42 is totallyencased in thermoplastic so that the resulting flexible composite sheetmay have its various layers formed by folding heat sealed or welded toadjacent layers in the necessary manner to construct the billfolder andwithout the necessity of using separate pieces of thermoplastic betweenlayers to produce adhesion. The coated sheet material employed for theblanks 40 and 41 is soft and pliable and closely resembles fine leatherin texture, feel and appearance.

The two blanks 40 and 41 are initially produced from rectangular sheetsof the required size. As shown in FIG. 4, the blank 40 is cut to provideon opposite sides a tapered tongue 44 to be subsequently joined with theedges of a V-shaped notch 45 formed in the opposite side of the blank. Aslot 46 and a coacting tongue 47 produced by the curved cut 48 serve animportant function in the assembled billfolder, to be fully de scribed.Flaps 49 and 50 are formed on the lower edge of the blank 40 as well asan integral generally rectangular hinged extension 51 to subsequentlyform one side wall of a transparent pocket for identification cards andthe like. The extension 51 is shown already equipped with a transparentwindow insert 52 of thermoplastic sheet vinyl or the like heat sealed at53 around its margin to the extension 51, in registry with a preformedopening in the extension. A similar transparent window insert 54 ismounted in the blank 40 in its opposite corner section 55 for thesubsequent formation of an additional billfolder pocket having onetransparent side wall. At the top of the blank 40, side tabs 56 and 57are produced on the blank 40 along with center and divergent flaps 58,59 and 60, to be subsequently employed in the formation of a reinforcedcoin cup or receptacle on one end of the finished billfolder.

The auxiliary blank 41 is initially formed with a tapered tongue 61 ofsomewhat reduced width at one end thereof and a pair of small notches 62in one longitudinal edge for a purpose to be described. A permanenttransverse crease or folding line 63 is produced in the auxiliary blankby the same heat sealing die means employed to weld or sea] variousparts of the billfolder together. A transparent panel 64 is mounted onthe underside of the auxiliary blank 41 and sealed thereto around threesides at 65 so as to form a small pocket for postage stamps and the likehaving an open mouth 66 where the transparent panel 64 is unattached tothe auxiliary blank. Another transverse crease or folding line 67 isformed across the blank 41 at the top of the transparent panel 64 inparallel relation to the crease 63, the latter being locatedapproximately at the center of the elongated blank 41. When the blank 41is folded in two on the crease 63, the two small notches 62 will moveinto registration for a purpose to be described.

Referring to FIG. 6 showing a preliminary step in the formation of thebillfolder, an additional transparent thermoplastic panel or wall 68 ismounted on the underside of the rectangular extension 51 and heat sealedthereto around three sides by a continuous heat sealing line 69. Theupper transverse preferably curved edge 70 of the transparent wall 68remains unattached to the extension 51 so as to form the open mouth of apocket having two transparent side walls of windows.

Referring to FIG. 7, the next step in the formation of the billfoldercomprises producing in the main blank 40 the additional permanentcreases or folding lines required to fold the blank into its componentparts for constructing the'billfolder. More particularly, spacedparallel creases 71, 72, 73 and 74 are formed in the bank 40longitudinally by the heat sealing die means and transverse creases 71',75 and 76 are formed near the lower edge of the blank to facilitatefolding the flaps 49 and 50. Diagonal creases 77 and 78 are produced atthe bases of the flaps 59 and 60 along with a transverse crease 79 andthe base of the flap 58. Longitudinal extensions 80 of the creases 72and 73 facilitate folding of the flaps. 59 and 60 in the formation ofthe coin cup, to be described.

Referring to FIG. 8 and immediately following the formation of thevarious permanent folding creases in the blank 40, the auxiliary blank41 is now attached permanently to the main blank 40 by a single pair ofgenerally U-shaped welding or heat sealing lines 81. FIG. 8 shows themain blank 40 inverted from its position in the previous figures and theauxiliary blank 41 is reversed end-for-end from its position of FIG. 5.The auxiliary blank is placed flat and longitudinally upon the portion55 of the main blank and the portion immediately inwardly of the tongue44 between the creases 73 and 74, prior to the formation of thepermanent sealing lines 81. The small postage stamp pocket now 1overlies the flap 57 and the tongue 61 overlies the lower flap 50. Thecreases 67 and 63 are in alignment with the two side edges of thetapered tongue 44. Additionally, flap 49 is now folded on the crease 75and heat sealed at 82 to the adjacent panel 83 margined by the crease72, slot 46 and pocket extension 51. The auxiliary blank 41 isunattached except at the two sealing lines 81.

FIG. 9 depicts the next stage in completing the billfolder. In thisfigure, the lower panel 86 of the auxiliary blank 41, FIG. 8, is folded.upwardly on the transverse crease 63 so as to overlie the sealing lines81 and stamp pocket 64. Next, the main blank 40 is folded longitudinallyon the crease 72 so that the panel 84 adjacent the notch 45 and thedepending transparent pocket extension 51 will overlie the panel 86 andthe extension 55. At the same time, the panel 83 having the slot 46 andthe tab 56 will be caused to overlie the center long panel 85 in FIG. 9.The tab 57 continues to underlie the stamp pocket 64 and the flaps 59,60 and 58 remain flat or unfolded at this time. The longitudinal crease71 is now in registry with the underlying crease 73. With the parts soarranged in FIG. 9, the tapered tongue 44 is folded on the crease 74into registry with the notch 45 and is joined along the margin of thisnotch by a sturdy sealing line 87. At this time, the previously-foldedflap 49 lies between the panels 83 and 85 but is sealed only to thepanel 83 to produce a reinforcement and a folded edge on the lower edgeof this panel.

At this stage of completion shown in FIG. 9, the billfolder has become aunit and can be opened up into a rectangular tubular form, as shown inFIG. 10, and can be placed over a rectangular cross section form orblock for smoothing of various components if desired.

Proceeding from FIG. 9 to FIG. 11, the extension or panel 55 with window54 and flap 50 is now folded on crease 73 so as to overlie panel 83.These parts are now permanently joined by sealing lines 88 and 89 bestvisible in FIG. 15. The transparent pocket extensionSl is overlying andpartially concealing the extension 55 and window 54 in FIG. 11. Thesealing lines 88 and 89 serve to complete one of two pockets in the mainbody of the billfolder remote from the coin cup and these two pocketshave their mouths simultaneously closed by the flap 50, as will befurther described. Further in connection with FIG. 11, after the foldingand sealing of the extension 55, the structure is further foldedlongitudinally on the registering creases 71 and 73 to cause panel 84,tongue 61 and pocket extension 51 to lie upon the panel 83 and flap 56.The flap 57 at this time is also folded over into side-by-side abuttingrelation with the flap 56 to form a complete reinforcing wall betweenthe tongue 61 and the exterior wall of the coin cup formed by the endportion of panel 85. At this time, the tongue 61 and the two foldedflaps 56 and 57 are permanently joined by relative short parallellongitudinal lines of welding 90, FIG. 11. These welding or sealinglines being spaced and longitudinal do not interfere with the manualsqueezing of the coin cup at its sides to open the same for thereception of coins, as depicted in FIG. 2. At this stage of completion,FIG. 11, the sealing lines 90 cause the billfolder to be permanentlyfolded in the narrow elongated form shown, whereby the elementsSl and 91form an inner partition in the billfolder when the same is foldedtransversely into the closed form shown in FIG. 1. At this time, thetongue 47 may be introduced into the slot 46 in the manner clearly shownin enlarged FIG. 22 to form a mechanical sliding and self-adjustingconnection between the panels 83 and 55 at the critical point wheretransverse folding of the completed billfolder takes place. The shoulder92 of tongue 47 is caused to interlock securely but adjustably with thearcuate extension 93 of the slot 46 so that the parts will not readilyseparate. A similar interlocking action between the rounded and 94 ofthe tongue 47 and the curved end 95 of slot 46 takes place. In practice,this sliding and self-adjusting connection is positioned slightly abovethe point where the billfolder is repeatedly folded transversely in themiddle of its length, and the adjustable connection prevents wrinklingand buckling in this critical region which, in turn, lessens wear andimproves the appearance of the product. No heat sealing whatsoever isemployed at this point of mechanical connection between the tongue 47and slot 46.

The final steps in completing the billfolder are shown in FIGS. 12through 15. Referring to FIG. 12, the side flaps 59 and 60 are firstfolded longitudinally on the creases 80. Following this, in FIGS. 13 and14, first the flap 59 and then the flap 60 are folded diagonally on thecreases 77 and 78 and finally, in FIG. 15, the center flap 58 is foldeddown onto the folded flaps 59 and 60 and secured thereto by anessentially U-shaped heat sealing line 96. A snap fastener element 97 isapplied to the center of the triple thickness cup wall formed by thethree folded flaps and this element coacts with a mating snap fastenerelement 98 on the exterior of panel or body portion of the bill-foldernear one end thereof. By this means, the billfolder is held in thecompletely closedcondition shown in FIG. 1 and in cross sectional FIG.16. Another two-part snap fastener 99400 is provided for maintaining theclosure flap 50 closed across the mouths of the two pockets orcompartments 101 and 102 formed in the body portion adjacent thetransparent window 54'.

FIGS. 1-3 and cross sectional FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 show the completedbillfolder in closed and opened conditions. The various pockets andcompartments of the billfolder may readily be identified in these viewswith reference to additional numerals as follows. In addition to thepreviously-noted longitudinal pockets 101 and 102 in, the billfolderbody portion formed by panels 85, 83 and 55, there is a single pocket103 formed by the transparent panels or windows 52 and 68 in thepartition extension 51. This pocket 103 opens longitudinally from thecenter of the billfolder toward the end thereof remote from the coincup.

A pocket 104 for coins exists between the two folded walls of what wasthe auxiliary blank 41, namely the panels 86 and 86', see FIGS. 5 and18. As previously noted, a small pocket 105 for stamps is formed betweenthe transparent wall 64 and the adjacent flap 106 foldable on the crease67. A secret pocket for cards or other items shown at 107 exists betweenthe panel 86 and the adjacent wall or panel 84 of the billfolderpartition. This pocket opens at the center of the billfolde in opposedrelation to the pocket 103.

The previously-noted sealing or welding lines 81 between panels 91 and86 form oppositely longitudinally opening pockets 108 for keys or thelike including two outside pockets 109 which will accommodate a key or anail file.

A main longitudinal compartment 110 for bills exists between theinterior panel 83 of the body portion and the partition panel 84. Thisbill compartment extends for the major portion of the length of thebillfolder inwardly of the coin cup.

An additional improvement feature in the instant billfolder resides inthe previously noted notches 62 of the auxiliary blank 41 which coincideor register when the auxiliary blank is folded to produce the panels 86and 86'. The registering notches 62 are shown in FIG. 3 where theyinterlock with the abruptly curved end 111 of a recess or cut-out 112 inthe main blank 40. This interlocking of the folded auxiliary blank withthe main blank in the completed billfolder stabilizes the constructionand aids in preventing undesirable wrinkling or buckling in this region.It may be noted in FIG. 3, for example, that the curved edges 112 and 48at the opposite ends of the panel 91 form the entranceway to the pockets108 and 109. i The mode of use and the versatility of the billfolder forcarrying various items including bills and coins is amply described inprior US. Pat. Nos. 2,863,845;

2,863,846; 3,151,651 and others, and therefore need not be repeatedherein.

FIG. 26 shows an additional improvement or modification which isoptional in the completed billfolder described in connection with FIGS.1 through 22. The same completed billfolder illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 isshown in the closed position in FIG. 26 with the folded body portionindicated by the numeral 113 and the closure flap also forming the coindispensing cup indicated by the numeral 114. Within the coin cup properis mounted a light tension wire spring having a central circular portion115 and divergent spring arms 116 which lie in a separate plane from thecircular portion when the spring is relaxed or free of tension. Thecircular portion 115 may be disposed between the folded flaps or layers58-59-60 which form the wall of the coin cup and the snap fastener 97-98will aid in anchoring the circular portion 115. The spring arms 116 liewithin the margins of the cup, as shown. When the coin cup 114 is openedto a use position, such as indicated in FIG. 2, the spring, composed ofthe elements lying in two planes, will cause automatic opening of thecoin cup so that the coins sliding out of the coin pocket 104 will beproperly captured. The use of the spring tends to eliminate the need forthe user to squeeze the side edges of the cup to cause opening thereof,as described in said prior patents. Instead, the spring serves toautomatically open the cup. When the billfolder is closed as in FIG. 1with the snap fastener 97-98 engaged, the spring yields readily and thecircular loop portion 115 moves into the same plane occupied by the arms116.

FIG. 25 shows a further improvement in the billfolder which isapplicable to the invention in FIGS. 1 through 22. As shown in thisfigure, at the mouth of the coin storage pocket 104 between the panels86 and 86', a stop element 117 in the form of a foam plastic strip orthe like is provided. This strip of stop element extends across themouth of the coin pocket 104 and is secured in any suitable manner tothe adjacent panel 86 as by adhesive means. The strip 117 is readilybendable to allow proper dispensing of coins from the pocket 104 intothe previously-described coin cup. However, when the billfolderincluding the pocket 104 is in the normal flat condition, the strip orstop element 117 will prevent coins from sliding prematurely toward orinto the coin cup.

A modification of the invention as described in FIGS. 1 through 22 isshown in FIGS. 23 and 24. This modification or improvement is largely toimprove the appearance of the product as regards the location of theelements 44 and 87 as they appear in FIG. or whenever the bill storagecompartment is exposed to view by lifting the partition away from themain body of the billfolder made up by the walls 83, 85 and 55.Referring to FIGS. 23 and 24, a modified main blank 118 is utilized inconjunction with the same auxiliary blank 41 shown in FIG. 5. Themodified main blank utilizes the identical central elongated panel 85shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 but comparing FIGS. 7 and 23 it may be observedthat the panel 119 containing slot 46 and corresponding to the panel 83in FIG. 7 now lies on the opposite side of the central panel 85 andcarries the tapered tongue 44. In a like manner, the panel or extension55,

carrying flap 50, tongue 47 and window 54 is reversed from its positionin FIG. 7 and now lies on the opposite side of the panel 85. Theextension 120 having the V- notch 45 is also reversed laterally from theposition shown in FIG. 7 along with the transparent pocket extension 51.Consequently, when the blank 118 is processed with the auxiliary blank41 to produce the tubular formation shown in FIG. 24 and correspondingto FIG. 10, it will be observed that the tongue 44 now heat sealed at 87to the panel in FIG. 24 is reversed from the arrangement of the elements44, 87 and 84 in FIG. 10.

A further modification of the blank and the billfolder in FIGS. 23 and24 resides in the provision of a notch 46 at the outer end of slit 46and an additional cutting of material from one side of the tongue 47, asshown at 47, to form a square shoulder and partially eliminate therounded end 94 of the tongue 47 depicted in FIG. 22. When the parts areassembled in the final formation of the billfolder, the aboveconstruction or changes al-- lows the tongue 47 to move upwardlyapproximately one-eighth inch in the longitudinal body portion of thebillfolder. This, in turn, allows the lower left hand corner of thebillfolder, as depicted in FIG. 26 for example, to curve properlywithout buckling and this has the effect of greatly reducing wear atthis particular location, thereby appreciably lengthening the life ofthe entire billfolder. Throughout the improved billfolder, all similarlyinterlocking parts have been positioned with care so that all cornersare smoothly curved in the interest of increased wear. All interlockingcomponents have been positioned slightly away from the points of foldingin order to obtain the above desirable results.

In other respects, the billfolder structure remains the same as for theprior embodiment, and corresponding numerals are used to designate likeelements in the prior embodiment.

As a result of relocating the tongue 44 and sealing line 87, these partsare virtually concealed from view in the finished product, even when thepartition is separated from the body portion of the billfolder to fullyopen the bill compartment.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shownand described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A billfolder comprising a folded body portion and an attachedpartition hinged to the body portion at one longitudinal edge of thelatter, said body portion and partition formed from initially flat blankmeans and said blank means formed of fabric coated on opposite sideswith thermoplastic material, whereby adjacent wall faces of thebillfolder body portion and partition may be permanently heat sealed inassembled relationship to produce storage compartments and a coin cup onthe billfolder without the necessity for separately formed adhesivematerial.

2. A method of producing a billfolder from a pair of initially flatfabric blanks coated on opposite sides thereof with thermoplasticmaterial, said method comprising the steps of arranging said blanks insuperposed relation and heat sealing local surfaces thereof along narrowlines only to permanently join said blanks, folding the permanentlyjoined blanks and permanently joining by heat sealing interfittingopposite side portions on one blank to form a tubular structure for thepartially completed billfolder, folding said tubular structure into asubstantially finished billfolder form and permanently joining byadditional heat sealing localized portions of said blanks to therebyproduce a flexible coin cup at one end of the billfolder body portion.

3. In a billfolder, a coin storage pocket, and a flexible coindispensing cup hingedly secured to one end of the billfolder and forminga closure element for the coin storage pocket when the billfolder is ina folded closed condition, said cup extendable longitudinally of thebillfolder to a use position in advance of the mouth of the coin storagepocket, said extended coin cup tending to assume a flat configurationuntil opened by manual pressure on the opposite side edges thereof, theimprovement comprising a spring element inserted into the coin cup andhaving parts lying in two divergent planes whereby the spring elementserves automatically to open the cup for the reception of coins fromsaid storage pocket when the cup is extended to said use position, thespring element yielding and lying in a single plane with the cup whenthe cup is shifted to a closed position with relation to the billfolderand said coin storage pocket and is secured in such closed position, thecoin cup then returning to a normal substantially flat condition. i

4. The structure of claim 3, and a flexible stop element disposed at themouth of the coin storage pocket and serving to close saidmouth andprevent premature discharge of coins from said pocket prior to openingsaid mouth with manual pressure on the opposite sides of the billfolder.

5. The structure of claim 4, and said stop element comprsing arubber-like strip extending across the mouth of said coin storage pocketand adhered to one side wall of said pocket, said strip yielding toallow normal opening of the mouth of said pocket when coins are to bedispensed therefrom.

6. In a billfolder, a main blank formed of fabric and having athermoplastic coating on both opposite sides thereof permitting directheat sealing of various portions of the blank with other portions, themain blank having folding lines dividing the main blank into panelsfacilitating the formation of the finished'billfolder, and an auxiliaryblank formed of fabric and being coated on both opposite sides withthermoplastic, whereby the auxiliary blank is directly heat scalable to.the main blank at one localized area, the auxiliary blank having foldinglines to facilitate folding the auxiliary blank with portions of themain blank in the formation of a billfolder partition.

7. A billfolder comprising an elongated body portiondefining one sidewall of a flexible compartment for paper bills and being foldabletransversely substantially at the longitudinal center of the bodyportion, said body portion having two thicknesses of flexible sheetmaterial throughout its length and a third thickness of said materialbeing mounted upon approximately onehalf of the interior side of thebody portion and forming one wall of a longitudinal pocket in the bodyportion, means forming an elongated flexible partition on the billfolderin superposed relation with the body portion and being foldabletransversely with the body portion when the billfolder is closed, meansforming a flexible coin cup on corresponding ends of the body portionand partition and said last-named means serving to join the body portionand partition adjacent one end of the partition, the partition alsobeing hinged along one longitudinal edge to the corresponding edge ofthe body portion, and interlocking sliding tongue and slot connectionmeans on the interior wall of the body portion immediately above thetransverse folding line of the body portion and partition and serving toprevent buckling and wrinkling of the body portion when the billfolderis folded.

8. The structure of claim 7, and expansion spring means carried by theflexible coin cup and operable to expand the cup to a coin receivingconfiguration when the cup is in an extended use position relative tothe body portion and partition, and engageable fastener means on thecoin cup and body portion for securing the coin cup in a closed positionfolded around the body portion and partition, said expansion springbeing then held in a substantially flattened condition within the foldedand secured coin cup.

9. A main blank for use in constructing a billfolder said blank beingformed of flexible fabric coated on both sides with flexiblethermoplastic, said blank having permanent creases formed therein byheateddie means to facilitate folding of the blank into theconfiguration of a billfolder embodying compartments for bills, cards,coins and keys, and interfitting projection means carried by theopposite sides of the blank and movable into registration when the blankis folded into a rectangular tubular form, and a heat seal. permanentlyjoining the interfitting projection means along their registering edges.1

10. The structure of claim 9, and said interfitting projection meanscomprising a tapered tongue on one side of the blank projectingoutwardly of such side, and a V-shaped notch in the opposite side edgeof .the blank extending inwardly of such side-edge, the centers ofsaidnotch and tongue being in alignment across the blank to facilitateregistration when the blank is folded into said tubular form.

11. The structure of claim 9, and said tapered tongue and Vshaped notchbeing so arranged on the main blank that upon completion of thebillfolder the tongue and notch are disposed deeply in the billcompartment close to the main longitudinal folding line of the partitionand billfolder body portion so as to be substantially concealed fromview.

12. The structure of claim 9, and said main blank having a mechanicallyinterlocking tongue and slot on spaced lateral portions thereof prior tofolding the main blank, said tongue entering the slot in interlockingselfadjusting relationship therewith in the completed billfolder tofacilitate folding the billfolder transversely without wrinkling orbuckling.

13. The structure of claim 12, and said slot having a short notchextension at its outer end and said tongue being recessed at acorresponding location on the tongue to allow the tongue to moveupwardly longitudinally in the completed billfolder sufficiently toavoid the point of maximum bending in the transverse folding of thebillfolder thus assuring smooth rounded corners on the billfolder at thepoint of main transverse folding.

1. A billfolder comprising a folded body portion and an attachedpartition hinged to the body portion at one longitudinal edge of thelatter, said body portion and partition formed from initially flat blankmeans and said blank means formed of fabric coated on opposite sideswith thermoplastic material, whereby adjacent wall faces of thebillfolder body portion and partition may be permanently heat sealed inassembled relationship to produce storage compartments and a coin cup onthe billfolder without the necessity for separately formed adhesivematerial.
 2. A method of producing a billfolder from a pair of initiallyflat fabric blanks coated on opposite sides thereof with thermoplasticmaterial, said method comprising the steps of arranging said blanks insuperposed relation and heat sealing local surfaces thereof along narrowlines only to permanently join said blanks, folding the permanentlyjoined blanks and permanently joining by heat sealing interfittingopposite side portions on one blank to form a tubular structure for thepartially completed billfolder, folding said tubular structure into asubstantially finished billfolder form and permanently joining byadditional heat sealing localized portions of said blanks to therebyproduce a flexible coin cup at one end of the billfolder body portion.3. In a billfolder, a coin storage pocket, and a flexible coindispensing cup hingedly secured to one end of the billfolder and forminga closure element for the coin storage pocket when the billfolder is ina folded closed condition, said cup extendable longitudinally of thebillfolder to a use position in advance of the mouth of the coin storagepocket, said extended coin cup tending to assume a flat configurationuntil opened by manual pressure on the opposite side edges thereof, theimprovement comprising a spring element inserted into the coin cup andhaving parts lying in two divergent planes whereby the spring elementserves automatically to open the cup for the reception of coins fromsaid storage pocket when the cup is extended to said use position, thespring element yielding and lying in a single plane with the cup whenthe cup is shifted to a closed position with relation to the billfolderand said coin storage pocket and is secured in such closed position, thecoin cup then returning to a normal substantially flat condition.
 4. Thestructure of claim 3, and a flexible stop element disposed at the mouthof the coin storage pocket and serving to close said mouth and preventpremature discharge of coins from said pocket prior to opening saidmouth with manual pressure on the opposite sides of the billfolder. 5.The structure of claim 4, and said stop element comprsing a rubber-likestrip extending across the mouth of said coin storage pocket and adheredto one side wall of said pocket, said strip yielding to allow normalopening of the mouth of said pocket when coins are to be dispensedtherefrom.
 6. In a billfolder, a main blank formed of fabric and havinga thermoplastic coating on both opposite sides thereof permitting directheat sealing of various portions of the blank with other portions, themain blank having folding lines dividing the main blank into panelsfacilitating the formation of the finished billfolder, and an auxiliaryblank formed of fabric and being coated on both opposite sides withthermoplastic, whereby the auxiliary blank is directly heat sealable tothe main blank at one localized area, the auxiliary blank having foldinglines to facilitate folding the auxiliary blank with portions of themain blank in the formation of a billfolder partition.
 7. A billfoldercomprising an elongated body portion defining one side wall of aflexible compartment for paper bills and being foldable transverselysubstantially at the longitudinal center of the body portion, said bodyportion having two thicknesses of flexible sheet material throughout itslength and a third thickneSs of said material being mounted uponapproximately one-half of the interior side of the body portion andforming one wall of a longitudinal pocket in the body portion, meansforming an elongated flexible partition on the billfolder in superposedrelation with the body portion and being foldable transversely with thebody portion when the billfolder is closed, means forming a flexiblecoin cup on corresponding ends of the body portion and partition andsaid last-named means serving to join the body portion and partitionadjacent one end of the partition, the partition also being hinged alongone longitudinal edge to the corresponding edge of the body portion, andinterlocking sliding tongue and slot connection means on the interiorwall of the body portion immediately above the transverse folding lineof the body portion and partition and serving to prevent buckling andwrinkling of the body portion when the billfolder is folded.
 8. Thestructure of claim 7, and expansion spring means carried by the flexiblecoin cup and operable to expand the cup to a coin receivingconfiguration when the cup is in an extended use position relative tothe body portion and partition, and engageable fastener means on thecoin cup and body portion for securing the coin cup in a closed positionfolded around the body portion and partition, said expansion springbeing then held in a substantially flattened condition within the foldedand secured coin cup.
 9. A main blank for use in constructing abillfolder said blank being formed of flexible fabric coated on bothsides with flexible thermoplastic, said blank having permanent creasesformed therein by heated die means to facilitate folding of the blankinto the configuration of a billfolder embodying compartments for bills,cards, coins and keys, and interfitting projection means carried by theopposite sides of the blank and movable into registration when the blankis folded into a rectangular tubular form, and a heat seal permanentlyjoining the interfitting projection means along their registering edges.10. The structure of claim 9, and said interfitting projection meanscomprising a tapered tongue on one side of the blank projectingoutwardly of such side, and a V-shaped notch in the opposite side edgeof the blank extending inwardly of such side edge, the centers of saidnotch and tongue being in alignment across the blank to facilitateregistration when the blank is folded into said tubular form.
 11. Thestructure of claim 9, and said tapered tongue and V-shaped notch beingso arranged on the main blank that upon completion of the billfolder thetongue and notch are disposed deeply in the bill compartment close tothe main longitudinal folding line of the partition and billfolder bodyportion so as to be substantially concealed from view.
 12. The structureof claim 9, and said main blank having a mechanically interlockingtongue and slot on spaced lateral portions thereof prior to folding themain blank, said tongue entering the slot in interlocking self-adjustingrelationship therewith in the completed billfolder to facilitate foldingthe billfolder transversely without wrinkling or buckling.
 13. Thestructure of claim 12, and said slot having a short notch extension atits outer end and said tongue being recessed at a corresponding locationon the tongue to allow the tongue to move upwardly longitudinally in thecompleted billfolder sufficiently to avoid the point of maximum bendingin the transverse folding of the billfolder thus assuring smooth roundedcorners on the billfolder at the point of main transverse folding.